Voices

May. 26, 2011 10:58 PM

Voices

''The fact that the U.S. Supreme Court found no pre-emption in the Chamber of Commerce case should be a favorable indication for legal principles that will be applicable when the SB 1070 case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court, even though there may be issues in the SB 1070 case that may not be identical to the issues resolved in the Chamber of Commerce case."

Tom Horne, Arizona attorney general

''(Businesses) don't

seem to be getting

the message."

Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County sheriff

Since the law went into effect, sheriff's deputies have raided 46 businesses and arrested 504 people. Of those, 347 were charged with identity theft and forgery. An additional 142 were turned over to federal immigration authorities. Only one business has been sanctioned as a result of the sheriff's raids.

''With this opinion, the Supreme Court has dealt a game-changing blow to special interests that have misused federal pre-emption claims to impede meaningful immigration enforcement at the local level."

Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for less immigration

''It will not only impact an already shrinking business community in our state, but it also opens an invitation for elected officials seeking to politicize the immigration debate, to continue drafting immigration laws in their states in hopes to make it to the Supreme Court."

Luis Avila, president of the Somos America Coalition, a Phoenix-based organization that advocates for immigrants

''(The ruling) may create the wrong perception that states are now free to carry out their own immigration laws. . . . Congress must act quickly on comprehensive immigration solutions so that our economy can thrive with workers who become legalized and allow all employers in all states to play by the same set of rules."

''I hope the court's decision results in the federal government filing fewer lawsuits against the states and directing more resources to the border."

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

''It was a test case to see whether Arizona could get away with doing some immigration laws. I think it was testing the water for what became SB 1070 and other laws introduced in the Legislature this year."